From The Desktop of Dane Carlson comes a link to an article about the 'reading gene':

Unlocking the recessive reading gene: "You can spot born readers easily. They have books in every room of the house, including the bathroom. They read fast and they read often. Born readers know what titles are on the Top 10 list. Kids of born readers are more likely to be born readers, too. These are the children that need mom to pick them up from school because they spent recess in the library and now have too many books to carry home. Kid readers ask for books as birthday gifts." [From the Desktop of Dane Carlson]

Though my gene isn't as active as it once was, it still gets a decent bit of a workout.